Chapter 8

On the first day of staying at the boarding house, I was busy tidying up the room and checking what was usable.

The room doesn’t get much sunlight, but in exchange, there’s a clothesline where I could air out the futon and knock off the dust.

As expected, it was a bit musty, and when I knocked it, a lot of dust flew up.

In one of the boxes, there were some clothes left by the previous tenant, but they seemed to belong to someone with a much larger build, so they were too big for me to wear.

In another box that served as a bed, there were gifts left by previous tenants, including some clearly women’s undergarments, but they were also too big for me.

No, I wouldn’t wear them anyway; I’m not into that kind of thing.

In the end, I put the clothes I brought from the carriage into the closet.

If I say I found them in the box, it should be fine, right?

The room’s lighting turned out to be a magical device.

A magical device, wow!

The light-emitting part is made from materials extracted from monsters, with a light-emitting spell inscribed on it, and it lights up when placed on a magic stone.

I immediately closed the room and turned off the lights to test it, and it was indeed bright.

It feels like a lantern powered by a magic stone battery.

However, even when I turn off the light, I can still see in the dark, which is probably a privilege of dark attribute mages, so the magical device isn’t as useful as I thought.

As expected, since Amanda runs a cafeteria, her cooking is delicious, and if I can eat this every day, I can overlook the small size of the room.

Her daughter, Maisa, helps out, but it seems Amanda runs the cafeteria on her own, and I haven’t seen her husband.

In such cases, there’s usually a story behind it, so I didn’t ask.

Yes, I’m a considerate guy... well, actually, I was just too timid to ask, but that’s beside the point.

After dinner, I said I was tired and went back to my room.

While tidying up the room, Maisa kept peeking in, so I couldn’t really be alone.

I guess new roommates are always a bit curious.

I locked the door and finally had some alone time to discuss the future with Reinhardt and the others.

However, the room is small, so I can’t have all three of them come out, so I’ll keep them in the shadow space.

First, I need to talk about this.

"Hey, this isn’t the Reisenburg Kingdom..."

"Yeah, Master Kent, we’re also surprised. We didn’t expect this..."

"Right... even Reinhardt and the others are surprised. But what should we do now?"

The evil princess Camilla told us to report to the barracks in the town beyond the forest, but reporting to the barracks of another country wouldn’t make sense.

Moreover, if we reached there, it would definitely be troublesome, so I thought it was impossible, meaning I thought I would be eaten by a monster and die.

I was actually eaten by a goblin, but I came back to life, and just thinking about it makes me angry. I’ll make that evil princess cry, make her sob on her bed.

"Reinhardt, if this is another country, the princess’s goal might not be to usurp the throne."

"That’s right, Master Kent. It’s possible that she might attack Volzard."

"Yes, that’s possible, since it was originally their country."

Reinhardt and the others say that it’s unlikely for an army to cross the monster-infested forest, but if they summon a large number of soldiers who can all use magic, like our classmates, it might become possible.

I’ve only walked from the outpost to the guild and the boarding house, but everyone I’ve met, like Mr. Kalts, Mr. Otto, and Amanda, has been very kind, and I don’t want this town to be invaded.

"Bashten and Fred, how does this town look?"

"It’s much more prosperous than when we were alive."

"There’s no slum... that’s wonderful..."

According to the two who scouted, Volzard is better maintained and has better security than in the past, and the people’s expressions are brighter.

The guard training is also well-organized and efficient.

"When we were alive, Volzard was prosperous but more chaotic, like a city where adventurers aimed for a quick fortune."

"So, the current ruler is doing a good job, right?"

"We can’t say for sure yet, but probably..."

"Hmm... what should we do..."

"Master Kent, don’t worry. There’s no need to rush to a conclusion. Things won’t move so quickly."

"Really?"

"If they’re the same age as you, even if they can use magic, it would take at least three years, or at least two years if they hurry, to become useful soldiers."

"Right... that makes sense."

I was a klutz even when I was in Japan, but my classmates wouldn’t suddenly become soldiers either.

Especially to become soldiers who fight in a war, it would take years of training.

After all, we, who grew up in a peaceful Japan, can’t handle killing each other.

Knowing we have time, we need to gather more information.

We don’t even know if the evil princess will really attack, and we just arrived in Volzard yesterday, so we don’t know anything about the town. We don’t have enough information to decide my next move.

"Fred, can you go and scout the Reisenburg Kingdom?"

"Leave it to me... with shadow travel, it’s quick..."

"Right, I should have thought of that..."

With shadow travel, you can instantly move to a place you’ve been before by connecting to its shadow.

Even if you haven’t been to a place, you can move by following visible shadows, so you can move without showing yourself.

"But can you find where everyone is?"

"From the summoning point... they shouldn’t be far... it’s fine..."

"Then, please do some scouting, Bashten. Continue investigating Volzard, and Reinhardt, stay here."

"Then, I’ll leave Master Kent to you, Reinhardt."

"Leave it to me, but don’t mess up."

Still, skeletons that can move in shadows are too overpowered.

With the shadow space, you can enter and exit freely, and you can spy from the shadows, so you can spy all you want.

Thinking about it, since I can also enter and exit the shadow space, I might go and scout Reisenburg myself if needed.

"So, what will you do, Master Kent?"

"I’ll... look for a job at the guild and see how things are in Volzard while working..."

"In that case, it would be convenient if you could communicate telepathically with us."

"Right, if I just talk out loud, people might think I’m weird. Let’s practice a bit."

Reinhardt and the others are linked to my magic, so with a little practice, I can communicate my will without speaking out loud.

Yes, this way, I won’t be seen as a weirdo who talks to himself.

Bashten investigated and found that today is the 14th of the 9th month, the 74th year of the new calendar, or the 833rd year of the old calendar, and it’s the Day of Light.

The new calendar seems to have started after the Reisenburg Kingdom became independent.

In this world, a year has twelve months and 386 days.

Each month has 32 days, with two extra days added at the end of the year.

A week has eight days: Fire Day, Wind Day, Water Day, Earth Day, Darkness Day, Light Day, Star Day, and Rest Day, with Rest Day being the day off.

There’s one day off per week, but with the two extra days at the end of the year and the first week of the first month, there are ten days off in total. Additionally, the second and third weeks of the eighth month, which is the hottest, are a long vacation of sixteen days.

It’s the ninth month now, so the long vacation is still far off.

The currency has changed from Burgs to Helts, but 1 Burg is 1 Helt, and Burgs are still in circulation.

Trade continues, so that’s probably why.

The treasures we recovered from the forest are worth about 1.7 million Burgs in gold and silver coins, and with the magic stones, it’s over 2 million Burgs.

There are also bolts of fabric and carpets... wow, I’m rich, even though it’s all gifts.

Considering the boarding house fees, I don’t need to worry about money for a while, but I plan to work to learn more about Volzard.

After all, taking on quests at the guild, completing them, and earning rewards is the essence of life in another world.

The next day, after breakfast, I went to the guild, but it was quite crowded.

There was a large crowd in front of the board where quests are posted, and I couldn’t even get close.

Wow, some people are even fighting over quests.

It’s an overwhelming scene, but it’s a typical one, and it’s exciting.

"Master Kent, shall I check what jobs are available?"

"No, it’s okay. I’ll look after things calm down a bit... and I want to see who’s coming and going."

"Understood, as expected of Master Kent..."

The telepathy practice from last night is already paying off.

I gave Reinhardt a plausible reason, but the truth is, I want to enjoy the atmosphere a bit more.

Looking around, there are people who look like adventurers, merchants, and craftsmen.

The boards they look at seem to differ, probably by rank or job type.

While I was observing the morning scene at the guild, someone spoke to me.

"You’re a new face, aren’t you? A newbie, maybe?"

"Uh, yes, I just arrived the day before yesterday."

The person who spoke to me was a woman who looked a bit older than me, with pink hair tied back and slightly droopy eyes, giving her a gentle appearance.

Surprisingly, she had triangular ears and a thick, cat-like tail swaying from her cargo pants.

Oh, cat ears—!

She’s about 160 cm tall, with a well-proportioned figure that catches the eye.

"What are you staring at, huh?"

I flinched at her deep voice and looked up to see a tough-looking guy glaring at me from above.

He had gray hair and triangular ears, but his tail was more dog-like.

Come to think of it, dog ears—!

He was about 180 cm tall, wearing cargo pants, laced boots, and a short poncho-like cloak.

I reflexively apologized.

"Uh, well... I’m sorry..."

"Hey, Gilik, why do you always pick on people... Sorry, I’m Miuell, and you are?"

"Uh, Kent."

"Wow, black hair is rare. Where are you from?"

The people I saw in town had colorful hair, so black hair might be rare.

"Well, I came with a caravan from the far west, but we were attacked by monsters in the monster-infested forest..."

"Really? Are you okay?"

"I managed... but the others... *mumble*..."

"Oh, that’s terrible... hang in there..."

I lowered my head and acted solemn, and she hugged me tightly, and my face was enveloped in a soft sensation... I’m in a bit of a bind.

"*Mumble*... can’t... breathe... *gasp*..."

"Hey, that tickles, don’t talk there..."

"Hey, you, how long are you going to hug Miu-sis? Let go, damn it!"

"*Gasp*... *pant*... I thought I was going to die..."

Do women in this world have a habit of hugging, like Amanda? I almost suffocated.

"Gilik, don’t be so rough!"

"Hey, Miu-sis was the one putting his life in danger."

"Really? *Hehe*..."

Wow, I didn’t expect to see a *hehe* in another world, but of course, Miuell is cute, so I’ll forgive her.

Miuell is a D-rank adventurer aspiring to be a pharmacist, and she has a belt around her waist with a large knife and several leather pouches.

Gilik, who is also a D-rank adventurer, is tall and muscular, with a sword on his back.

They both look like typical adventurers.

"Kent, you’re probably a newly registered F-rank, so picking fruits at the Reible farm might be good this time of year."

"Yeah, that’s a good fit for a kid like you."

Reible is a fruit that ripens this time of year and is used to make alcohol.

"Got it, I’ll check it out. Thanks."

I was wondering what kind of job to take, so I decided to try the farm work Miuell recommended.

When I looked at the board, which had fewer people now, there was a request from the Reible farm.

The farm is probably large, so they’re recruiting many people.

The request doesn’t have a rank restriction, so I, an F-rank, can take it.

I took a sheet from the board and brought it to the reception, where a young lady was absent, and an older lady handled it efficiently and gave me directions to the farm.

I was looking forward to the young lady at the reception, but since I met Miuell, I’ll let it go.

The Reible picking starts next week, and the pay is 400 Helts per day, with meals included for a week’s stay.

I decided to head there right away to see what it’s like.